Summer Dangers: Heat Stroke

Summer Dangers: Heat Stroke

posted: Jul 12, 2017.

With this
recent heat wave I thought July would be a good time to talk about heat stroke
in pets. The following is a true story:

It was a hot
summer day last July with temperatures in the 90's when an emergency came in
mid-day. Schance, a 12 year old German Shorthaired Pointer had been running
errands with his owner that morning, and then taken on a walk during which he
collapsed and started breathing very hard. His owner rushed him to SWVH where
he was unable to walk into the hospital on his own.

On exam
Schance was laying on his side, breathing very hard and loud, and was not
mentally responsive. He was dehydrated and his temperature was too high to read
on our thermometer, meaning that it was over 108 degrees. It was apparent he
was suffering from heat stroke.

Emergency
treatment was started. In order to lower his body temperature, we placed cool, damp
towels on him and directed a fan towards his body. We placed alcohol on his
paws which cools them as it evaporates. A technician placed an IV catheter and IV
fluids were started. He was given a sedative to calm his breathing and relax
him. Forty minutes after intake, Schance’s body temperature returned to normal
and we were able to discontinue cooling.

Unfortunately,
Schance was not out of the woods. Bruising was starting to develop on his
abdomen. Excessive heat can disrupt the body’s blood clotting abilities. He was
still mentally depressed and his eyes developed nystagmus – fast, jerky
movements of the eye up and down. We became concerned that as a result of the
heat stroke his brain was beginning to swell. A medication called Mannitol was
given in an attempt to pull fluid out of the brain and decrease swelling. One
hour after giving this medication the abnormal eye movements stopped however,
Schance had now developed bloody diarrhea.

Still in
critical condition, Schance was transferred to Animal Emergency Center (AEC)
for overnight care. Although initially his lab work had been normal, recheck
blood work at AEC showed that his blood clotting times were becoming prolonged,
correlating with the bruising on his abdomen. Schance also continued to have
bloody diarrhea. The good news though was that he was progressively becoming
more mentally alert overnight and was able to walk to the car for transfer back
to SWVH the next morning.

The next day
at SWVH Schance continued to improve. His bowel movements became more normal
and his blood clotting times normalized. He continued to become
more mentally alert, and was able to go on potty breaks with minimal
assistance. We were pleased with his recovery and were able to discharge him
that evening.

Heat stroke
is a potentially fatal condition in which excessive heat causes body
temperature to rise, resulting in damage to cells. The cells lining blood vessels
are particularly prone to injury and this is why bleeding problems often occur.
The kidneys, lungs and heart can all fail due to damage.

The first
signs of heat stroke are often subtle. Dogs will seek shade, pant excessively
and may appear weak. It is important to seek veterinary treatment immediately.
On the way to the vet put the A/C on high and offer your dog water to drink.
Dousing your pet in water can also help, especially the ears and paws where
blood vessels are close to the surface and evaporation will cause the most
cooling. Do NOT use ice water as it can cause blood vessels to restrict which in
turn inhibits cooling the core body temperature down.

The
prognosis associated with heatstroke varies widely and largely depends on how
severely affected the patient is when arriving at the hospital. The faster the
pet is seen by a vet, the better. The good news is that pets that recover from
heatstroke generally do not have any long-term side effects.

Prevention
of heat stroke is key! During hot summer days restrict walks and physical
activity to early mornings and late evenings when it is most cool. Avoid hot
pavement and never leave pets unattended in cars. Special care should be taken
with animals with pre-existing heart conditions, and short or snubbed nose
breeds like bulldogs.

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